Wonderful World of TCM: Island of Doomed Men (1940)

"Island of Doomed Men": Is this not one of the coolest titles ever? I'll help you out if you're stuck: Yes, it is! I wish I could say the movie lives up to it, but that would be a tough task, indeed. As it is, this 1940 Columbia B-pic is missing something or other, but it's worth watching if only for star Peter Lorre. I had never heard of this one until Turner Classic Movies screened it last week, and I love to see them spotlighting some new titles from some different studios. Even if they're not all gems, they're rarely shown, and there's usually something in there to reward you.

In this case, it's mostly all Lorre, at least for me. He is the grand poobah of a remote island that nobody cares about (they say that with a bit more elegance, perhaps, in the movie, but not a whole lot more), suckering the prisons into paroling their inmates so he can use them as slave labor. This is actually a great scam if you can find the right island and the right suckers.

Once they are there, Lorre uses a group of henchmen to keep the doomed men in line with, uh, whips and chains--and, yeah, I just now realized how that sounds. But he also has a pretty wife, played by Rochelle Hudson, and he keeps her a virtual captive on the island as well, though not with whips and chains, at least not that we see. He grapples with undercover con Robert Wilcox as he tries to maintain control of the island, utilizing that cheap labor to...uh, well, I missed that part. I think he's just a prick who likes bossing people around.

One thing Lorre does NOT like is the monkey kept by his manservant--and have I mentioned yet that this B-movie is kind of ridiculous? Several times, Lorre hisses things like, "Keep that monkey AWAY from me," and with Lorre's bulging bug eyes and distinctive voice, how can you not laugh? The ultimate showdown between Lorre and Gleepo the Monkey*, however, is no laughing matter. Let's just say it's an unfair fight, and perhaps under different circumstances, with a level playing field, the outcome would be quite different.

I suppose it's redundant to call a Lorre peformance "creepy," but that's the word that comes to mind here. He's sadistic, controlling, and he hates monkeys. That makes him a Grade A villain in a Grade B pic. It also gives "Island of Doomed Men" most of its oomph.

Prolific Abbott and Costello helmsman Charles Barton directs this one, and I can't help but think that if it's not gonna all the way and become a real horror movie or a more ambitious crime/adventure flick, it could use a little comic relief. You're thinking, "How can a movie with Peter Lorre hissing at a monkey need comic relief?" Your point is well taken, but while there are some entertaining camp elements throughout, just think what a Mantan Moreland could do as one of the doomed men.

I'm not always one to advocate shoehorned-in comedy, but I think "Island" is not quite camp enough, but not quite serious enough, either. Still, there's a lot to enjoy, some notable character actors in the cast, and of course the great Lorre with a typically magnetic performance. All this, and it is over in less than 70 minutes, almost short enough to prevent you from noticing how little sense the story makes.

*Note: I made up the name "Gleepo the Monkey," but don't you think it fits? "Gleepo the Monkey...as Monkey." "Gleepo will return in Island of Doomed Monkeys."